230^ SIBERIA 



We decided to rest the horses outside the village of 

 Abbi and walk through the deep snow to the village 

 cemetery, which lay away to the right near the slope 

 of the hills — a. lonely spot. The cemetery is about 

 20 yards square, railed in on all sides, and has no 

 gate. The monuments were of the same simple 

 description as those in the churchyard at Katunda, 

 and, like them', bore no inscriptions. Some graves 

 were m'arked by a wooden cross of the orthodox 

 Greek pattern. 



I regained the sledge, which was dragged labori- 

 iously over the dry ground, from which the snow had 

 melted away. It struck me that it would not be at 

 all a bad plan to construct a sledge with small wheels 

 attached to it, so that they could be used on bare 

 ground. They would also be of service when a 

 sledge turns over sideways and would prevent many 

 an awkward spill. Some patent of the kind would 

 be a boon to the peasantry, particularly at the 

 changing -of the seasons in spring and autumn. 



At Abbi the man from whom we ordered the 

 drosky developed a most unpleasant obstinacy, re- 

 fusing to take us any farther. We argued and per- 

 suaded and cajoled, and when we had finally 

 prevailed upon him' to take us, his stubbornness took 

 the form of refusing to take a troika, although we 

 pointed out the state of the roads and the difficulties 

 we had experienced with a pair on the last stage. 

 Argument was of no avail, nor could he be prevailed 

 upon to hurry himself, but sulkily took his time to 

 get the drosky ready and grease the wheels. This 

 operation took him^ fully half an hour, at the end of 

 which time he announced that he was ready to start. 



I had found a word which I could use with con- 

 siderable effect whenever I wanted the rjloujiks to 

 " hurry up." This was the word " skoro," which 

 means " quickly," and had never been known to fail. 



